Chapter 6: The Secret in the Letter
The lights came back on.
Everyone started talking at once.
The dean called for security.
People reached for their phones.
Chairs scraped against the floor.
But Michael and I remained still.
He was staring at the message.
I could see the fear in his eyes.
"Mom, we're leaving.""
I shook my head.
"No.""
"Yes.""
"Not until I know the truth.""
"Someone just threatened you.""
"Exactly.""
I looked at Chloe's mother.
She had gone completely pale.
"You know who sent it.""
She shook her head.
"I don't.""
"You're lying.""
"No.""
"Then tell me why Richard's letter says to ask you.""
Her lips trembled.
"I didn't kill him.""
The words echoed through the auditorium.
Michael stared.
"I never said you killed him.""
She covered her mouth.
"I know what it looks like.""
"What did you do?"" he asked.
She looked at her daughter.
"Chloe needs to leave.""
Chloe shook her head.
"No.""
"Chloe, go.""
"No.""
She turned toward Michael.
"I'm staying.""
Michael's expression was cold.
"You should have stayed out of this years ago.""
Chloe wiped her tears.
"I didn't know.""
"Didn't know what?""
"About my mother.""
Her mother grabbed her arm.
"Enough.""
Chloe pulled away.
"No.""
She looked at me.
"I deserve to know too.""
Eleanor stood.
"Then perhaps it's time.""
She took another recording from her handbag.
Michael looked at her.
"There's more?""
"Three recordings.""
She placed the second one in his hand.
"Your father made these during the final week of his life.""
Michael pressed play.
Richard's voice filled the auditorium again.
"If you're hearing this, I couldn't fix what I broke.""
Static.
"Denise believes I abandoned her.""
I closed my eyes.
"She isn't wrong.""
My chest tightened.
"But she doesn't know why.""
Michael looked at me.
I couldn't look back.
"I discovered money missing from the company accounts. At first, I thought I had made a mistake.""
A pause.
"Then I discovered someone had been using my signature.""
Eleanor watched me carefully.
Richard continued.
"The person doing it knew everything about me.""
Another pause.
"They knew Denise. They knew Michael. They knew where we lived.""
My hands began shaking.
"I confronted them.""
The recording crackled.
Then Richard said one name.
"Margaret.""
Chloe's mother.
The recording stopped.
Chloe stared at her mother.
"Mom?""
Margaret sank into a chair.
"I can explain.""
Chloe's voice broke.
"You stole from his company?""
Margaret shook her head.
"No.""
"Then why did he say your name?""
"Because I knew who did.""
Michael stepped closer.
"Who?""
Margaret looked at him.
"I was trying to protect your mother.""
"By doing what?""
"I made a deal.""
"What deal?""
She looked toward the auditorium doors.
"I agreed to keep quiet.""
Michael's jaw tightened.
"About what?""
Margaret's eyes filled with tears.
"About the person who was stealing the money.""
"Who?""
She whispered:
"Your father's business partner.""
Michael stared.
"Thomas?""
Margaret nodded.
I remembered him.
Thomas Reed.
Richard's closest friend.
The man who had attended our wedding.
The man who had sent flowers when Richard died.
The man who had stood beside the coffin and told Michael, Your father would be proud.
I felt sick.
"Why would you protect him?""
Margaret looked at me.
"Because he threatened Chloe.""
Chloe gasped.
"What?""
"When you were eleven, he found out I had discovered the accounts.""
Margaret's voice shook.
"He told me that if I went to the police, Chloe would disappear.""
Chloe backed away.
"That's insane.""
"I know.""
"Why didn't you tell anyone?""
"Because I believed him.""
Michael rubbed his forehead.
"So Dad left us to protect us.""
Margaret nodded.
"He tried.""
"Then why did he die?""
Silence.
Margaret looked down.
"I don't know.""
Eleanor spoke quietly.
"That's not what Richard believed.""
Michael turned.
"What do you mean?""
Eleanor opened the third recording.
Richard's voice came through.
"Thomas knows I found out.""
My blood went cold.
"If something happens to me, it wasn't an accident.""
Michael's face went blank.
Richard continued.
"I have evidence.""
A pause.
"I gave copies to someone I trust.""
Then the recording ended.
Michael stared at the device.
"Who?""
Eleanor shook her head.
"He never said.""
I looked at the photograph again.
Richard.
Margaret.
The restaurant.
Then something struck me.
"The date.""
Eleanor looked at me.
"What?""
I pointed.
"The photograph was taken three days before Richard died.""
Margaret nodded.
"Yes.""
"And Chloe was with you.""
Margaret looked confused.
"She was?""
"At the restaurant.""
Chloe's face changed.
"I wasn't.""
I looked at her.
"How do you know?""
"Because I was at school.""
Michael pulled out his phone.
"Your school records?""
Chloe stared.
"Why would you have those?""
"Because you told me you were studying abroad that week.""
She went silent.
Michael's thumb moved across his screen.
Then he stopped.
"That's strange.""
"What?"" I asked.
He turned the phone toward me.
"There was a hotel reservation made in your name.""
Chloe's face drained.
"That's not mine.""
Michael looked at the details.
"The reservation was made with a credit card.""
He stared at the last four digits.
Then looked at Margaret.
"Mom...""
Margaret shook her head.
"I didn't make it.""
Michael looked at me.
"Those last four digits belong to Dad's old business account.""
Nobody spoke.
Then Chloe whispered:
"I know where I was.""
Michael looked at her.
"Where?""
She slowly covered her mouth.
"I was with Thomas.""
Margaret stood.
"No.""
Chloe began crying.
"He picked me up after school.""
"Why?"" Michael asked.
"I don't know.""
"What did he tell you?""
She looked at him.
"He said he wanted to talk about your father.""
Michael went completely still.
"What did he say?""
Chloe's voice trembled.
"He told me Richard wasn't dead.""
I felt the room disappear.
Michael grabbed the back of a chair.
"That's impossible.""
Chloe shook her head violently.
"He said Richard had faked his death.""
Eleanor's face went pale.
"Did he tell you where your father was?""
Chloe looked at Michael.
"No.""
"Then why didn't you tell me?""
"Because he told me you'd hate me.""
Michael stared at her.
"For what?""
Chloe swallowed.
"He said your father had left one final condition.""
"What condition?""
She looked at me.
"That you could never know he was alive.""
My heart stopped.
Then Michael's phone vibrated.
One new message.
No number.
No name.
Just three words.
*He knows you're here.*
Michael slowly raised his eyes.
At the back of the auditorium, the doors opened.
A man stood in the doorway.
Older.
Gray-haired.
Wearing a dark coat.
And even after all those years, I knew that face.
My roses slipped from my hands.
"Richard?""
May you like
The man looked directly at me.
And smiled.
